There is a fine line between a film that criticises society and a film that outright assaults society. This one falls into the latter category. It has absolutely nothing good to say about the Russian people, and nothing bad to say about the people who slit the throats of young Russian men. The idea that the protagonist wasn't killed when captured, and was even welcomed into Afghan society, seems fantastic. And what do the filmmakers do with this fantastic scenario? They use it as a plot device to show us just how sick, corrupt, and depraved every Russian in existence is. No one is spared here: his family, friends, locals, politicians, priests, his army buddies... But here's the ironic twist: While the film wants to portray as corrupt all these people who reject or even wish to murder the protagonist turned muslim, it makes the viewer wonder: Isn't at least that a redeeming feature of Russian society? Had an Afghan turned Christian, his own people would have killed him. These are the people whose morality the film glorifies from beginning to end. But perhaps it also means that Russian society still has the strength to condemn a traitor, despite all its shortcomings?
Review of Musulmanin
